I have been watching everybody around me jump on the sup bandwagon,some guys are getting really good(or bad),and the boards are evolving fast and the lengths decreasing faster.Years ago I saw Poto at Teahupoo doing stand up(and eating it also).Pipe is getting Sup ed Won’t be surprised when someone goes out Sup at Pe’ahi.
Already done at Jaws!
KAVA:
What’s you take on size?
Are they under 10’6"
less than 31" wide?
The standard?
Thanks,
SD
surfed the other day on my 9.2 ,this guy was stand up on a 9.0 x 26.
Wow, thats little. Mine is 9’4" by 31"…
My machine can cut 31" wide x 10’6" and is perfectly calibrated.
It sits idle in Costa Mesa. No one builds custom paddle boards because they are all imported from China.
I think in Hawaii they are more progressive and build more customs and keep taking the designs to new levels.
Before this summer I will make myself a 9’6" x 30" x 4 3/4" custom vacuum bagged. If it’s too big I will make a smaller one?
most of the shapers make stand up boards,so you see lots of different sizes.most guys that are into stand up have a couple boards, one for serious kind of waves,10.6 or smaller,one for training on flat days.I always just surf,but I find stand up is good on flat days,and great for fishing.strap a milk crate on the nose,attach a pole holder,voila,you can troll,and also whip.
I don’t SUP however It looks like it would be good to work on core strength?
On small day it might make for a session that would otherwise would not happen.
In the beginning there were not very many shapers even considering it. Now there are quite a few shapers making more progressive designs. Its good to see guys pushing the limts to make better boards.
I’m all fired up and have been making plenty progressive stuff lately. In my room now are a few from a 7-10 all the way up to a 10 footer for big guys up to 275 lbs. Vetea “Poto” David called me yesterday about making a quiver specifically for Teahupoo at all sizes. Small to extra large. He wants to stand up paddle into the big ones. I’ll make him some spears for it… I’ll be down there in a couple weeks to discuss the details of this lunacy. Yeah, progressive stuff is happening for sure…
Love it!
Thanks for the Info.
9’6 x 30 x 4.75 quad for my first one? Knee to shoulder high waves with it to start.
Vetea “Poto” David called me yesterday about making a quiver specifically for Teahupoo at all sizes.
that is the coolest thing i’ve read on Sways in a while. RIGHT ON! CarveNalu. glad to hear things are going well!
I will be there also,going home for a couple weeks,next week,if you are leaving from honolu,see you on the plane.Hope the waves are not too big!!!
Aloha kava,
You are right about the evoolution explotion in sups. Here on Maui it has all but totally taken over some breaks. When I started three years ago there were just a handfull of guys who had been doing paddle surf for a while and most boards were in the 12ft. long range. I started out on a 12ft. soft top x 26". Then boards stayed long but expanded to the 30" wide range on most all boards. Then the craze went from doing coast runs on flat days to everyone getting behind the line-up and catching early waves. That started the shorter and shorter boards but the width has stayed pretty wide on most of the new innovative styles. Most guys I know are now on 9-8 to 10-2 x 28ish wide boards for surfing. Now it’s begun to be common for the seasoned guy to have three sups in the quiver: 1. A “downwinder” at about 12-6 or more in lengthx29 wide for open water big wind runs down the coast, 2. A ten to eleven x 28 ish for longboard paddling on smaller days, 3. And an under 10-0 x 28+ wide board for shortboard style larger waves. Jimmy Lewis surfboards makes a 12-6 x 27" wide gun style for big waves. I’ve got a downwinder and an 11ft. x 27 that I use as an “all arounder”. I know a guy over at Makaha on Oahu who rides a home made 8ft. 6" x 32" board.
So it now all comes down to what the conditions are, the wave, your personal surfing style / ability, and just plain ole preference. As stated at the top, on any given morning here on Maui there’s a sea of sup ers all over the horizon at every break. Ahhh, how I long for the good ole days when there were no sup crowds way back in time…maybe last year or so!! I heard of some remote 75 sq. ft. island about a 4 hour small plane ride off Kaui that may not be so crowded yet, only cuz you can’t land there and it’s too small to find by boat!
Enjoy the ride! (somehow)
richard mccormick